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Detroit IT wants: Online bill pay, form filing, parking meter fixes

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Results of a crainsdetroit.com survey about Detroit IT needs.

The ability to access and file park permits and other forms online ranks atop a list of potential priorities for improving Detroit's IT infrastructure, according to an online poll of Crain's readers this week.

Beth Niblock, the city's new chief information officer, is tasked with fixing Detroit's broken information technology and ushering the city into the 21st century. While she's focused now on getting the back-end system up and running, she will soon turn her attention to solving problems that impact residents' day-to-day lives.

We asked readers to pick their top three suggested IT improvements. Among the results:

153 votes (20 percent) went to this suggestion: "Make all city forms available online —park permits and principal residence exemptions, for example —and allow residents to file them from the website."

"Make it easier to pay for parking tickets, property taxes and other bills online" received 112 votes (15 percent).

Among the "other" suggestions that readers put forward: "Put online a check register for every bill payment the city makes;" "free city Wi-Fi" and "time lights on all main thoroughfares, including Jefferson Avenue downtown."